Experimental mood inductions in persons at high and low risk for alcohol problems

High-risk and low-risk participants (defined on the basis of presence or ab sence of family history of alcohol problems) were compared on reactions to positive and negative mood inductions and a nonalcoholic beer taste test th at followed. After the negative induction, high-risk participants experienc ed negative affect more intensely than low-risk participants. In the taste test, high-risk participants drank more nonalcoholic beer than low-risk par ticipants. The results imply that high-risk participants, compared with low -risk participants, (a) are more reactive to negative emotion-arousing stim uli and (b) are more strongly motivated to drink alcohol in negative emotio n-arousing situations.